Siena Heights basketball teams earn WHAC victories

If the Siena Heights women’s and men’s basketball teams could play like they did Wednesday night during every game, no one would have to wait for spring for the snow to melt.

Both Saints squads were hot against Wolverine-Hoosier Athletic Conference opponent Marygrove College, the women cruising to a 96-43 win and the men notching a 92-70 victory at the Northwest Activities Center.

WOMEN

The Siena Heights women ran their win streak to seven games in convincing fashion, scoring 24 of the game’s first 26 points in an impressive 24-2 run to start play.

Even more impressive is the way the Saints (12-5, 6-4 WHAC) did it as eight different players scored those 24 points.

By the time the Mustangs (2-14, 0-9 WHAC) finally got into double digits, Siena Heights had built a 37-11 lead on its way to a 49-14 halftime bulge.

Morgan Warfield hit a trio of triples in that first half and the Saints’ defense was smothering, forcing Marygrove into low-percentage opportunities as the Mustangs were just 4-for-32 (12.5 percent) from the field in the first half.

Alexxis Knannlein came off the bench to lead the Saints in scoring for the game with 15 points, one of four players in double figures. Sierra Calhoun added 12 points and five rebounds, Warfield 11 points, and Grace Howrigon 10 points, five assists and five rebounds and Lauren Wirth a team-high six rebounds off the bench. Freshman Lexi Johnson (Onsted High School) added three assists.

The Saints outrebounded Marygrove, 52-33, and finishing the night limiting the Mustangs to 23.7 percent shooting.

The Saints welcome WHAC rival Michigan-Dearborn on Saturday for a 5:30 p.m. game.

MEN

The Siena Heights men’s squad faced a 41-39 halftime deficit, but stayed patient and began to gradually pull away in the second half. Marygrove still held the lead at 47-45 three and a half minutes into the second half, but a Malachi Satterlee free throw and Christian Covile’s 3-pointer gave the Saints the lead it would never lose again.

The lead grew slowly, but when Stone Beckwith knocked down a 3-pointer with 9:21 left in the game, the Saints (7-11, 3-7 WHAC) had given themselves a 70-55 advantage.

Covile put together two strong halves for the Saints and led the offense with 27 points and tied teammate Jerrell Martin for rebounding honors with 10 apiece. Satterlee added 17 points and seven rebounds, Beckwith 14 points, Jamison Webster (Madison High) 13 points and five assists and Martin 11 points.

Siena Heights was solid in all aspects of shooting, hitting 34-of-63 field goals (54 percent), which included an 8-for-13 (61.5 percent) showing from long range, and was 16-for-25 from the foul line.

The Saints return home to host Michigan-Dearborn on Saturday at 7:30 p.m. in a WHAC contest.